


phase

by k8 (paintedmaypole)



Category: NSYNC, Popslash
Genre: M/M, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-10-13
Updated: 2001-10-13
Packaged: 2017-10-18 14:38:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/189914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paintedmaypole/pseuds/k8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He guesses he has somewhere to be, something to be rushing to, but he can't remember.</p>
            </blockquote>





	phase

**Author's Note:**

> Mucho thanks to Ceili and Jae for the beta.

Everyone is gone. JC sits up in his bunk and listens, but the engine is silent, the bus is quiet. He walks out to the front, into the kitchen area. Grabbing a sweatshirt from a tan, vinyl-covered seat and pulling it over his head. It's large, smells a little. He thinks it might be Joey's.

There isn't any food in the fridge, but he isn't really hungry. He grabs the one can of 7-up and sits down. The bus is inside something. A parking garage, a stadium, a hotel lot; he isn't sure. They were giving interviews this week. They went on all morning long, the five of them rotating around in circles. Jerri-with-an-"I", the new publicist, kept track with a counter on her watch, yelled "switch" every five minutes and made them all go round and round. Afterwards, when the reporters left, she called them all into a circle and gave comments.

"You have to answer questions. You can't avoid serious topics. You can't joke about everything."

Jerri emphasized words by curling her hands into fists and hitting one on top of the other. She gave lectures by talking generally, listing her comments, but then singling them out one by one and staring.

"JC, you have to speak in complete sentences. You have to look them in the eye. You aren't talking enough. You're used to this. What is the problem?"

There was a pause. She wanted an answer. Chris caught JC's eye and winked, pinched Justin so he'd swear, let Lance distract Jerri with a question about the schedule.

Later, Jerri walked them out, still listing "problem areas," but it was too late. JC had already begun to phase out, let the room fade and let the noises blur. Started to pay attention to small details. The "S" pressed into the ash trays, the tulips under a mirror... There was a song he'd been working on, some time back. He couldn't get the tune right, something missing from the last verse. He wanted a notebook. He needed sleep. Jerri herded them all onto a bus. Said she would see them later, tapped her fists together one last time and shut them in.

So now JC is here, on the bus. He must have taken a nap. He _assumes_ he took a nap.

JC can see it happening. The bus stopping. Lance standing up and reminding everyone where they are. Joey rushing off to find a phone and call home. Justin bored and heading to JC, to wake him up. Chris rushing towards the back of the bus as well, but catching Justin's shoulder, telling the guys to let JC sleep.

There's another car pulling in nearby. JC hears a horn and almost jumps, but catches himself tensing and stops. He guesses he has somewhere to be, something to be rushing to, but he can't remember. He needs Lance for remembering schedules. He's said this in fact, more than once; to Lance, to the group, but they all know it anyway and usually smile. Except for Lance, who rolls his eyes, and Chris who smiles, but also touches JC's shoulder or flicks at JC's hair.

 

It's been a half an hour. JC has finished the 7-up. He's read the Entertainment Weekly that someone, probably Justin, bought and drew on. He's thinking of leaving, feels like he should be doing something, but he just wants to go back to bed. Instead, his cell phone rings.

"Are you awake?"

Chris isn't joking, he knows JC too well. He knows that these days JC tends to look awake, but really be asleep. He knows that JC has been having one of those days, one of those weeks, where he's just slightly out of phase with the rest of them, no matter how hard he tries.

"I'm... awake. No, I am."

"Are you _sure_?"

JC can hear the grin in his voice. "Yes. I'm sure."

"Then get your ass over to the door and let me on the bus!"

JC looks over. Now he can see the shadow of a person, a Chris person with a visor, showing through the door. His head is moving, bobbing up and down or maybe he's jumping in place.

"It's cold," Chris whines. "JC, I'm cold. Get over here."

So he walks over. Swings the door open and blinks several times at all the light shining in at him.

Chris pushes past him. "Damn, it's dark in here. Warm though."

Chris walks to the back. Moves past the kitchen, the toilet, the bunks and into the living area, the den-- whatever they're calling it this week. JC follows him back and Chris grabs his hand when JC reaches him. Chris sits down, pulls JC over between his legs and looks up into his eyes.

"You okay? You sleep okay?"

Chris sounds like JC's mother all of a sudden, his expression is her's too. Reminds him of when he was younger, when they were in Europe and she'd call every few nights to ask if he was sleeping, if he was eating, if he was drinking. But JC hasn't spoken with her for months. He swore he'd make her call first, swore she'd be the one to apologize.

"JC."

Chris has been talking, his lips have been moving, but JC doesn't know what he's said. He moves further in between Chris's legs, stands between them and holds Chris's hand.

If JC leaned down and took Chris's other hand, he could kiss Chris. He could push him into the vinyl and roll on top of him and touch him for hours, but he doesn't. If JC knelt down, if Chris opened his pants, they'd be stuck in the same pose JC's mother and brother found them in. Caught. And Chris is speaking and JC feels watched, even though he knows his mother is far, far away. Seven states away and a plane trip with at least one connection.

Chris has stopped talking and is just staring. His left hand is rubbing JC's thigh; moves to the back of JC's knee and stays there.

"JC." Chris catches his eye, pinches his leg, "JC. You have to wake up eventually.

"JC, she was here in June. She was here months ago. It happened months ago. You have to let it go."

JC licks his lips. It's a new habit. It gives him something to do when he can't think of anything to say. Chris looks away, looks out the window, but keeps his hand resting on JC's calf. There are noises coming from the front of the bus. It shakes a bit and JC hears Justin and Lance talking. The bus's engine rumbles on, but it doesn't move.


End file.
